


Company

by FestiveFerret



Category: Marvel Ultimates
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Comforting Tony, Crying, Explicit Sexual Content, Hopeful Ending, Hotel Rooms, Insecure Steve Rogers, M/M, One Night Stand, Playboy With A Heart Of Gold Tony Stark, References to PTSD, Soft Tony, War Veteran Steve Rogers, meet cute, sad Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 06:13:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19388170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FestiveFerret/pseuds/FestiveFerret
Summary: Steve gets his hotel room number wrong.





	Company

**Author's Note:**

> Huge, massive thank yous to sadieb798 for saving this fic, plus cheering me on and betaing it too. You're a blessing :-*
> 
> Thank you also to deejaymil for inadvertently making me realize this was an Ults AU, lol.

There was another loud thump on the door, and Tony rolled over and pressed his face into the too-fluffy pillow. He was never staying at this hotel ever again. He'd noticed the wedding party when he'd checked in but he hadn't expected it to destroy his own sleep, and if the hotel couldn't keep its parties quiet and away from the other guests, he was not going to be a repeat customer. There was another rattling thump, and there was no denying now that it was someone knocking on his door. They didn't seem inclined to leave, and Tony was properly awake now, so he pushed out of bed and pulled on a robe. 

The knock came again, louder. "Hold your horses, darling, I'm on my way."

He yanked the door open and almost dented the floor with his jaw. 

"Please tell me the wedding party double booked strippers and they decided to send me the extra," Tony drawled. This guy was gorgeous, muscles on muscles, close-cropped blonde hair that was still just long enough to make a mess of, and plump biteable lips that were twisted into a frown.

"What?" the guy said. He looked at Tony then at the number on the door then at Tony again. "This isn't Thor's room."

Tony laughed. "Thor? That your co-stripper? What a name." He leaned against the doorframe, letting his eyes rake down the man's perfectly sculpted chest. It didn't help that he was wearing a pristine suit and a black bow tie. All thoughts of sleep evaporated from Tony's mind. "But, no. This is my room."

"Shit. I'm so sorry." The man backed up a little, then he looked helplessly up and down the hallway. "I - I have no idea which room I'm supposed to be in, now." 

He looked so utterly lost, and so completely dejected by that prospect, that Tony couldn't help but reach out and grab the sleeve of his suit jacket. "Hey, it's alright. You can text your friend. In the meantime, come in for a drink. You could use one. And I'm sure the last thing you need right now is a noise complaint, standing out here making a ruckus."

"I already had a drink," the man sighed, "which is why I can't remember the damn room number."

"Come in." Tony tugged gently, and though the man didn't say anything, he let himself be pulled. "You're here for the wedding, right?" Tony asked, as he sauntered over to the minibar and started rattling through the bottles. This guy seemed like a strong scotch kinda guy so he poured three of the tiny bottles into two glasses and handed one over. 

"Yeah…" The guy took the glass and stared down at it. He hadn't stopped frowning. "My best friends got married."

Tony sat down on the bed, letting his robe gap over his bare legs. The guy's eyes stayed fixed on the scotch and Tony tried not to pout. "You sound thrilled about it."

The guy knocked the drink back in one mouthful then slid his glass on the dresser. He sighed again. "It's a little complicated. Her and I used to date before I was deployed. I thought she was going to wait for me… I'm sure she would have, actually, but my unit was attacked. My friend was sent home, injured. They thought I was dead. It took me six months to get home again and I guess in that time she'd helped him recover, they'd helped each other through their grief and were in love."

"Wow. Dicks." Tony sipped his drink.

The guy's eyes finally snapped up to his. "Oh no. I don't blame them. They thought I was dead. I don't hold it against them at all. I love them. I just - it was supposed to be my wedding, and I'm -" He cleared his throat. His gaze drew a heated line down Tony's chest to where the robe gapped and revealed his crossed thighs. Bingo. "Nevermind. Thanks for the drink. I should go."

"You don't have to go. I'm fully awake now, and with my insomnia, that's it for the night for me. Did you text your stripper friend?"

"Oh. Right." He pulled his phone - a hideously outdated flip-strosity - out of his pocket and scowled at the screen while he typed for a moment. "To be entirely honest, he's probably either asleep already or - uh - not in the room…" The man's cheeks flushed prettily.

"He found company for the night?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

Something about the man's deep scowl was heating Tony's core. "What a shame." Tony rolled the last of his drink around in his glass then tipped it to his lips. A drip of condensation fell to his leg, and Tony wiped it up with the pad of his thumb, grinning when the man's eyes tracked its movement. "Tony, by the way."

The man's eyes jerked up to Tony's, caught out, and he stumbled half a step back, rattling the dresser behind him. He coughed. "Steve."

"You in the market for some company of your own tonight, Steve?" Tony uncrossed his legs and crossed them the other way. 

Steve swallowed heavily.

"I… wasn't planning on it."

"It's not uncommon at a wedding. Even more expected at your _ex's_ wedding." Tony pushed up off the bed and stretched forward into Steve's space. He didn't step back. "Bet you have some pent up frustration, watching him get everything you thought was going to be yours, huh? Even if you bear them no ill will, it still stings." Tony ran his knuckle down Steve's tie, keeping the touch light enough that Steve wouldn't feel it. The way his throat bobbed and his weight shifted forward told Tony everything he needed to know. "You deserve something nice, sweetheart."

Steve followed Tony's hand with his eyes, keeping them down when his fingers stopped at the jut of Steve's belt. _"He_ wasn't my ex. She was."

"I don't care." Tony shrugged then lay his hand flat over Steve's stomach, almost purring at the pressure of firm muscles under his hand. "Do you?"

Steve sucked in a sharp breath, eyes finally breaking back up to Tony's. He took an uncertain step forward, then, when that nearly pressed them chest to chest, took three more, backing Tony up against the foot of the bed. _"God,_ I guess not. Shit." 

He dove in, and Tony reached up to cup his face as he found Tony's lips and kissed him. Steve kissed like he had things to forget, and Tony encouraged him to keep looking for his freedom at the back of Tony's throat, tongue pushing in and tasting, gasping breaths sucked in harshly between their mouths.

Steve's not inconsiderable weight became too much, and Tony tumbled backwards onto the bed. Steve caught himself with a hand on either side of Tony's shoulders, stared at him in barely concealed shock for a moment, then pressed down again until Tony was flat on his back, Steve over him. Tony bent his knee and folded his leg up around Steve's hip, tugging him closer. 

Some valve in Steve seemed to have been finally opened after too long, and he was desperate and needy, almost scared, in how he kissed, in how his hands stroked up Tony's sides, seeking the gap in the robe.

"Let me get this off -" Tony gasped, tugging at Steve's tie as Steve's mouth descended on his neck. "Fuck, darling, that feels good. You can suck harder."

Steve continued decorating Tony's neck and shoulder with bruises, the robe pushed down to his elbow now, while Tony attacked Steve's clothes. His tie slipped free and hit the floor, followed by his suit jacket. Tony got the buttons on his shirt undone and his belt open when Steve pulled back and stared down at him, lips flushed pink and eyes wild. "Is this okay?" he asked, nearly begging. "Can I -?"

Tony couldn't resist petting gentle fingers over Steve's cheek then back through his hair. "It's perfect. Whatever you want."

"I don't - I don't do this," Steve said shakily, fingers tracing the curve of the bottom of Tony's ribs.

"One night stands or men?"

Steve's mouth opened and closed.

"Are you looking for permission? Discretion? Just tell me what you want, darling."

Steve's fingers clenched once then he bent to Tony's lips again and whispered, "Okay," against them. He kissed Tony, more softly this time, less frantic, less terrified. "I want you. I don't care about anything else." The waver in his voice suggested he actually cared quite a lot, but Tony wasn't one to look a gift fucking in the ex-girlfriend issues so he shuffled backwards onto the bed and drew Steve with him, getting his shirt off his shoulders before pulling him back into enthusiastic making out.

"Works for me." Tony went for Steve's belt again, pulling it out of the loops and tossing it to the ground then unbuttoning his pants. He stroked the palm of his hand down over the front of Steve's boxers, and Steve shuddered against him, hips rocking.

Whatever reservations Steve had had about being with a man seemed to evaporate now that they were giving into hormones and a hint of alcohol. He parted Tony's robe and slipped his hand up the leg of his briefs, teasing his fingers up the length of Tony's cock, peeking up out of the waistband of his fitted underwear now, throbbing even harder at Steve's touch. Steve twisted his hand to grab the side of Tony's briefs and tugged them down, humming against Tony's mouth when Tony lifted his hips to allow them to slide off. 

When Steve didn't offer a similar courtesy, Tony growled and pulled away from the kiss, holding Steve out at arm's length and then methodically stripping him of the rest of his clothes. Steve watched in wry amusement until Tony pushed his boxers off and wrapped his fingers around Steve's cock without preamble - then his expression broke into aroused awe. 

Tony tugged at Steve's hip and he tipped forward over Tony, as Tony lay back down. Steve propped himself up on his hands and knees then bent to urge Tony into another kiss. Tony ran his hand down Steve's arm, gripping to feel the tight curves of his impressive muscles, then pulled Steve's hand up and guided it to his cock. "I like it like this," he murmured, squeezing Steve's fingers around him until the grip was perfect. 

Steve made it clear his muscles weren't just for show, easily propping himself up on one elbow and setting a tortuous rhythm on Tony's cock with his other hand. Steve's hips rolled, rubbing his cock against Tony's stomach, leaving a trail of precome over the soft skin in the dip of Tony's hip bone. And even though he was a few drinks in, Tony was feeling the build already, the tingling heat that said Steve was moving _just right_ to bring him closer and closer to the edge.

"Yeah, baby, that feels so good," Tony murmured, and Steve shuddered and rutted harder against Tony's stomach. "Your hands are so nice."

 _"Tony -"_ Steve gasped, and he nipped at Tony's jaw, then his earlobe, and fell to his neck again, sucking and biting. He mouthed the length of Tony's collarbone, and Tony's cock jumped in his hand, urgency making him thrust up, encouraging Steve to move even faster.

"God, yeah, baby. Mark me up." Tony furrowed both hands through Steve's hair and held on, tipping his chin up to give Steve full access to indulge in his obvious neck kink. Steve's grip never wavered, stunningly firm and consistent, and it wasn't long before Tony's fingers were tightening in Steve's hair, nails scraping against his scalp. "Fuck, I'm close - I'm close - don't stop."

"I won't," Steve gasped. He moved up to kiss Tony again, moaning when Tony pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and worked it gently.

Pleasure built and built and finally broke and Tony came with a gasp, covering Steve's fist and his own stomach as he pulsed and groaned. "Shit."

"Wow - that was - wow." Steve leaned back to look down at the mess Tony had made, fingers still resting on his softening cock.

"God, Steve. You have incredible hands." Tony petted down Steve's cheeks to his neck and over his chest, fingers wandering of their own accord. "Incredible." 

It was a moment of panting and wafting in the afterglow before Tony realized that Steve was gently rubbing his erection against Tony's hip but there was no urgency to it and he'd slipped off of Tony so he was propped up on his side, on one elbow. 

"What can I do for you, sweetheart?" Tony asked rubbing his fingers back through Steve's hair again.

"I'm okay," Steve said unsteadily, and Tony laughed. He pushed up and rolled Steve over, climbing on top of him and kissing him once, twice. 

"I'm not going to be satisfied until you are, darling. Tell me what you like. Hand not enough for you?"

Steve cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"No need to be sorry." Tony kissed him again and didn't pull away until Steve had melted, boneless under him. "Want my mouth instead?"

Steve's eyes went wide. "Okay. Yes. Yes, please. If you don't mind."

"It would be my _very_ genuine pleasure." Tony pressed their lips together one last time, then drew a line of kisses down Steve's neck and chest to his stomach. Tony let his hands wander up Steve's thighs, thumbs teasing around his balls. 

When Steve gasped and arched up, Tony took him in hand and stroked slowly but steadily while he reached down the side of the bed with his other, feeling around blindly for the top of his suitcase. He found the zipper pouch that contained his toiletries and easily got his fingers on the foil packet of a condom. He pulled himself fully back up onto the bed and tore it open. 

"Don't be shy about grabbing my hair and showing me what you like," Tony teased, loving it when Steve's eyes went even wider. "I like feedback."

Tony wasted no more time, rolling the condom down the length of Steve's cock and following it with his mouth. He sucked hard, sliding his tongue along the underside then slipped lower and lower until the head pressed against the back of his throat and he had to back off.

"Oh, christ, Tony. That feels incredible," Steve whined, hips twitching and jerking, barely held back. Two, large hands landed on the back of Tony's head and twisted through his hair.

Tony started to set a rhythm, bobbing down, sucking hard, then sliding back up again. When Steve's hips rocked up gently to meet him, Tony started moving faster. Spit leaked out around the messy seal of his lips and dripped down his chin, making him feel sloppy and used even only after a few minutes, the soft ache in his jaw and the friction along his tongue sending pointless throbs of interest to his own exhausted cock.

Tony loved the power and submission that combined in a blowjob. In some ways, he was at Steve's mercy, this unknown man who could choose to take and abuse that control. But in some ways, he had all the power, Steve's cock buried in his mouth, giving in to Tony's rhythm, begging silently for _more, more, more._

When his jaw started to tire, Tony set about doing everything he could to get Steve off faster. He sucked and licked and worked the last inch his mouth couldn't handle with his hand, bobbing and sucking and encouraging Steve to rock up to meet him every time. 

Steve's breath started to come in choppy little gasps, carrying Tony's name on them, or mixed curses, or wordless moans. Then Steve's legs started to shake, and Tony redoubled his efforts, letting spit soak his fist and his chin, putting his all into every movement. 

"Oh my god, oh - oh - _oh -"_ Steve cried out, hands gripping and releasing Tony's hair like he was afraid to let himself go. Then both his hands dropped to Tony's shoulders and he pressed down, holding Tony still while he broke off a cry and pulsed on Tony's tongue, filling the condom. "Oh, _god."_

Tony slid off Steve's cock and wiped his chin with the corner of the bedsheet. He eased the condom off then tossed it aside and tipped off Steve, rolling flat on his back, blinking up at the ceiling as he caught his breath and wishing a drink would teleport its way across the room. Or maybe a smoke. Sleep teased at the edge of his consciousness and Tony was considering just giving in to it and letting Steve find his own way out when the mattress wobbled ominously.

Tony looked over. Steve was curled on his side, turned away towards the wall, face twisted into the pillow. His shoulders were tense, up around his ears, and he was quiet. _Way_ too quiet. He wobbled again.

"Uh... Steve? Are you crying?"

 _"No,"_ Steve hissed out in a way that was definitely a _yes_ , shaking a little again.

"Hey… it's okay. I'm just some jerk stranger, who cares what I think? Come here. I'm told I give good cuddle."

"I don't -" Steve snapped, until he cut himself off with a sigh. He rolled his face across the pillow, pushing up on his arms. Tony expected him to launch himself out of bed and out of the room, but instead, he turned to the side and jammed himself up against Tony. Tony caught a glimpse of red-rimmed eyes before Steve twisted out of view again.

Tony wrapped his arm around Steve's shoulder and pulled him close, petting his fingers up and down the length of his spine. He'd had some weird post-coital moments, but he wasn't sure his dick had ever made someone _cry_ before. At least not like this. 

"What's wrong?" Tony tried.

"I - It doesn't matter." Steve shifted closer, one hand resting lightly on Tony's stomach. "I'm fine."

"You are not. You can just let it out, you know. I'm not grossed out by snot. Go for it, darling. You need to cry? Then cry."

Steve tensed for a moment, stock still, and then a great wracking sob shook out of him. He bit it back almost immediately, but it seemed the floodgates had been opened and for a few moments, Tony just held him and gently stroked the back of his head and neck, holding him tightly enough to provide comfort but not so tightly that he might feel trapped. 

After a few minutes, it started to occur to Tony that this might not be the "I'm still in love with my ex and she just got married" cry that he'd assumed it was. What if Steve was upset about something else? Maybe the gay thing was fucking him up, or maybe he was hurt? But Steve didn't seem like the kind of guy to cry over a little chafing, and he hadn't seemed shy about his grip on Tony's dick so it seemed unlikely to be the other thing, either.

When Steve calmed, Tony couldn't help but press. "What's wrong, lovey?"

"It's stupid. It's nothing. I'm sorry. I - I had a drink and - and - it's late…" Steve's whole body tensed like it was going to push away, but Tony held him fast and Steve didn't try to break his hold. He sunk down again and cleared his throat roughly. When he spoke, his voice was level - he didn't seem like the kind of person not to face things head on, once he'd decided to face them. "I… I haven't been with anyone since Gail. Since before I - my - Before. I just - I haven't been touched… it felt nice, feels nice, but I don't -" Steve let out a shuddery sigh. "I don't feel like I deserve it. And you've been really nice to me and now I'm ruining your night. I should go."

"Do you want to go?"

Steve was silent for a beat. "No."

"Then don't go. Not just yet. Come on, I can't release you back into the wild looking like this." Tony wiped his thumb under Steve's eye and it came away wet. "What kind of reputation would that give me? I like people to leave my bedroom smiling."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just - just take a minute. It was a lot, okay, I get that. It can be a lot." Tony started scraping his fingers back through Steve's hair, digging in just enough to scratch along his scalp, and Steve melted softly into his touch. 

"It feels like she was my last chance. Not that I still want her like that, honestly, we've both changed so much, and it's nice to see her so happy with Bucky, but I was sure I was going to marry her. And now I'm not. And I don't know what that means for the rest of my life. Maybe I'll - maybe I'll be alone forever. But - and please don't take this the wrong way - I feel like this, with you, just reminded me of everything I'll never have."

"What? Last chance? Pff." Tony snorted. "Handsome guy like you? Strong and kind and devastatingly gorgeous. Not to mention pretty damn good in the sack," Tony added, perhaps a little generously. Steve was good, but with practice and a little more experience he'd be _excellent._ "Girls'll be knocking down your door for a shot. Guys too, if you want. I barely know you, but I can tell you're a good man. You'll be fighting off beautiful, smart, loving women left and right."

Steve sighed softly, a release of something.

"Actually, you don't seem like the kind to fight women, so I guess you'll just go broke buying them drinks and presents."

At that, he got a real genuine laugh, one that shook the bed and made Steve huff warm air out onto Tony's bare chest. Tony tugged him even closer and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Steve had a nice laugh, warm and low and honest. 

"I don't want women knocking down my door, Tony. I just - I don't want to be alone, if I can help it. I don't do alone well. I'm not - I get down…" He cleared his throat. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this."

"Endorphins," Tony said lightly. "From the orgasm." He waved it all away. "Doesn't mean anything. I don't mind, really. Not my weirdest post-coital interaction - and no, I won't tell you what was. Gotta get a few more drinks in me before I'm willing to relive _that_ memory."

Steve pushed himself up onto his elbow and looked down at Tony thoughtfully. His eyes were bright and intense, even with their lids puffy and red from crying. "No… No I don't think that's why -" 

A loud chime from across the room broke Steve's attention away and he pushed up and off the bed, taking no care to hide his nudity. He dug his phone out of his pocket and frowned at it. "Thor is back at the room, alone, thankfully. He sent me the number. I had the first and second digits reversed. He's two floors up."

"Well." Tony sat up in bed, dragging a large, fluffy pillow up to shove behind his back. The loss of Steve's heat against his body was chilling his skin and he tugged at the duvet trying to free enough of it from the tangle at the end of the bed to cover him. "That solves that mystery."

"Right." Steve didn't move.

"You could stay? I mean only if you didn't want to bother getting dressed and all that."

Steve shook his head. "No, I really - I have to go up. Thor will - It doesn't matter. I need to keep this to myself, for now. Not that I'm -" he added hastily, cutting off and shifting his gaze from the phone to Tony.

"It's okay, I know you're not ashamed of me," Tony said with a laugh. "It's fine if you don't want people to know. It's your business."

"Okay. It's really just that he's always trying to set me up with his friends. And I don't - they're lovely, but - not for me." 

"What is for you?" Tony asked. "I mean, what are you looking for in a partner?"

Steve had started picking up his clothes, but he paused by the dresser at Tony's question, his phone in one hand, tie in the other. "I think -" He looked down at his hands, mouth open, then he turned and looked Tony in the eye. "Tony?" He was a man steeled for something, and Tony braced himself. "Look, I really only want you to say yes if you really want to, so if you don't want to, just tell me you're headed back home tomorrow, or whatever, and I'll accept it. But would you like to get coffee in the morning? I mean, can I buy you coffee? I'm never going to find someone if I don't take a chance, right? Maybe tomorrow I can tell you what I'm looking for…? And you can tell me too?"

Tony parted his lips but wasn't sure what to say. _You're doing it again, Stark,_ he warned himself, when _yes_ was what wanted to roll off his tongue. _You're giving your heart away to the first person who gives it a second glance._ These one night stands were supposed to be armour, protective, safe. And there was no chance that Steve - even for all his soft hands and rumbling laughter and stitched-back-together self - wouldn't break Tony's heart too, just like all those who had come before him. 

But Tony hadn't become who he was by being risk-averse. Maybe it was his curse, like Sisyphus, to keep rolling love up a hill only to have it give way and crush him on the way back down again. Because try as he did to say no, all that came out was, "I'd love to." 

And Tony remembered why it was worth it to try, when Steve's answering smile lit up the whole room.


End file.
